Forget Me
by theplaywrite
Summary: All Jack Atlas wanted to do was keep Carly safe and the only way he believed he could achieve that was to keep her at a distance. If only Jack had learned from his mistakes the first time and prevented Carly from falling into her own darkness.


Forget Me

 _"I'll never give up hope and I will never stop fighting for you, Carly!"_

 _"We'll be together again, Carly. Not as I had hoped, but we will be together someday!"_

 _"No! Don't say that. You're going to be alright."_

 _"Carly..."_

Those words he had spoken not too long ago still echoed in his mind. All his memories of that fateful and painful duel against the woman he loved still haunted him deeply. He dreamed for the day when the darkness was casted away from his home and he could look into the pure, white eyes of his savior once more.

"Jack, you're back! How did everything go in Satellite? You beat those scary Dark Signers, right?"

Jack was utterly confused. Carly was speaking to him like she had no idea what had happened only a short time ago. It was like all her memories of being a Dark Signer and their duel together were completely erased from her memory. After everything that went down, all Jack wanted to do was hold her in his arms one more time and tell Carly he still loved her. But now, how could he?

"I just knew you would be able to beat the darkness and save the world. How'd you do it? Did you use the power of the Crimson Dragon to stop those terrifying giants?"

It was defiantly Carly. She was back to her old self again and free from the darkness that once controlled her. It was everything Jack had fought for in that duel. However, for some reason, things did not feel like the way he had imagined they would.

"You don't remember?"

He tried to be careful when speaking to her about what had happened, not knowing how she would react.

"What are you talking about, Jack? Remember what?"

She had no idea. Carly was completely clueless to the fact that she had died and was reborn as a Dark Signer, having her only mission to turn Jack to the side of darkness as well.

He loved Carly. Jack realized he loved her during their duel. He would have willingly given up his own life to save her's or to be with her in eternal death. After everything Carly had done for him in his darkest days, he knew the connection between them was strong and he never wanted to lose her again. But she does not remember any of that. He was the only person in the world who knew the truth.

Jack wanted to be by her side and enjoy the new world with her. However, he realized, standing in front of Carly and seeing her smile again, that maybe it was better she did not remember all the terrible things that had happened to her...what happened between them. Maybe she was spared from those horrible memories in the hopes that she would never have to live with the guilt and self-hate that could have been bestowed upon her.

It was for the better. Carly could go on and live her life without ever having to look back at what she had tried to commit under the control of the darkness. She could be the happy, selfless person who wanted to do whatever she could to make the world a better place. That was the Carly whom Jack had fallen in love with and that was the Carly he wanted to see live her life to the fullest.

But, memories like that are most likely not the kind that stay locked away forever. What if she began to remember? What if she started feeling all the pain and guilt? What if she lost her grasp on reality? What if she fell into her own darkness? How could Jack save her again when the only thing left to save her from now is herself?

He never wanted her to remember those times. He had to protect her. Even though it pained him, never being able to express his true feelings for her, he wanted the best for Carly. If there was the slightest chance she would remember, Jack would never let her fall again. If the thought of him being too close to Carly might stir up past emotions and memories, then he would stay away from her.

Jack would keep Carly at a distance, just like he had done in the beginning, only wanting to keep her safe. He would never let his presence bring back those memories. He will forget his feelings for her, forget their duel, forget her dying, just as she had. All in the name of keeping her safe and happy, even if that meant letting her go.

"Do you want to grab a bite to eat?"

She was so sweat and thoughtful, and that is how Jack wanted her to stay.

"No. I have some other things to attend to."

Jack walked away from Carly, never looking back. He had to let her go, keep her at a distance, spare her from those terrible memories in order to secure her safety and happiness. This was just how it had to be. They could never be together, unless they wanted to hurt each other. So, Jack pushed her away and tried to keep her at a distance for the rest of his life. Leaving her behind that day was the hardest part.

If only he had learned from his mistakes the first time.

During the months following Jack's departure from the city to reclaim his turbo dueling glory, Carly fell into a state of despair, disbelief and anger. After everything she had done for Jack, he just left her standing there. She started to convince herself that Jack never truly cared for her. It was all some game he played. There was never anything between them. The relationship Carly believed her and Jack had was all in her head. She meant nothing to him, and that is why he left her behind.

When she fully began to believe those thoughts, that is when the memories began to flood back. All those lost memories of her horrific past returned instantly. This was not the first time, Carly realized, that Jack had casted her aside. He abandoned her before the war against the Dark Signers, because she was useless to him. And now, even after what had happened between them, Jack left her again.

Immediately, Carly's heart was filled with rage and anger. The feeling was so familiar. It was just like when she was patiently waiting to face him as a Dark Signer. She hated Jack Atlas then, and begun to hate him now. He left her.

 _"I'll never give up hope and I will never stop fighting for you, Carly!"_

No! He stopped fighting for her when she stopped begin a threat.

 _"We'll be together again, Carly. Not as I had hoped, but we will be together someday!"_

Together? Begin left by him, to return to her lonely world did not fit her definition of 'together'.

 _"No! Don't say that. You're going to be alright."_

She would never be alright after all the things Jack had put her through. She thought he loved her, or at least cared about her.

 _"Carly..."_

His words and actions of the past meant nothing to her. He meant nothing to her.

"Carly?"

He walked up to her, after years of being away to take back his crown. Jack barely smiled, though feeling ecstatic inside when he saw the young woman again. She looked to be doing alright.

"Jack? What on earth are you doing back here?"

Carly was shocked upon laying her eyes on him. Honestly, she did not want to see him. She knew what he would try. Jack would act like he never left her and she was still his little puppy, following him around and hanging off his every word. Not anymore. Not after she grew up and learned to move on from the dueling king.

"I had some free time in between tournaments, so I thought I'd stop by."

Jack's smooth tone of voice, with its recognizable accent did not capture her attention the same way it had done in the past. What Jack did not know, was that Carly vowed to never fall under his spell again.

"Oh."

Carly tried to sound uninterested, hoping her ex-love would get the message to leave her alone and go on with his life, like he had always done.

"Would you like to grab some dinner? If you want, I could give you a few tips about the new dueling tournament coming to the city. I know this guy-"

There it was. Jack was playing his old game, believing Carly was still his pet.

"No. I have other things to attend to."

She said coldly to him. Jack, not expecting that kind of reaction from his old friend, was taken back. This was not the Carly he remember, the Carly he knew, the Carly he saved.

"Alright. Maybe later then? I just thought we could catch up and I could see how you've been."

She found herself getting mad at him. He was the one who left. Why does he still feel the need to pretend he cares about her? What could he possible gain?

"That's sweet, but not needed."

"What do you mean? I thought we were-"

"Friends? How could we be? You left years ago. Besides, it shouldn't be in your nature to associate with an ex-ally of the darkness."

Carly cut Jack off mid-sentence. She felt like she needed to put Jack in his place. Jack on the other hand had to take an even greater step back. 'Ex-ally of the darkness'? It could not be possible. Did she remember? Did Carly really remember her times as a Dark Signer?

"Darkness? What are you talking about, Carly?"

The young woman stiffened her shoulders and clenched her fists tightly.

"Don't play dumb with me, Jack! If anything, I'm the dummy in this fictitious relationship. I should have known better that after our turbo duel you would never keep your word."

"Turbo duel? Carly, are you saying that you remember?"

"Goodbye, Jack! Have fun with your life at the top of the world. Just please remember to forget me, if you haven't already."

She turned away from Jack and ran from him for the rest of her life.

"Carly!"


End file.
